The Prime Minister
Page 4
those threatening clouds away there tothe south-east. That is not the quarter from whence gales generallyspring up off this coast; but if those clouds don't hold a very largecapful of wind, I am very much mistaken. During the whole course of mylife I never met such unnatural weather, and I don't like the look ofit. Depend on it there's something strange going to happen, though Iwould not say so to the crew, or to the women, if we had any on board,and thank Heaven we have not."
The officer who had charge of the navigation of the ship, who in theEnglish service is called the master, more correctly denominated by thePortuguese the pilot, at that moment came up to the captain, taking offhis hat respectfully, as he pointed out the dark clouds in the horizon."We shall have a gale before long, Senhor Captain," said the veteran,who was a fine specimen of the sailor of times long, alas! passed by inthe annals of Portugal, during her palmy days of naval supremacy."'Twill be a breeze which will make us look sharp after our sticks.Shall we begin to get in some of our light canvass; for I like not thelook of the weather. There is a storm out there, muttering uglythreats, from which 'twere wiser to take warning."
"You are right, Senhor Nunez," answered the Captain. "Those are signsof a gale, or we have been to sea for a century between us to verylittle purpose; but there is no immediate necessity to shorten sail, sowe may as well not lose the advantage of the breeze, while it lasts, tomake as much way good in our voyage as we can; for we shall probably,before long, be blown far enough from our course to weary us withbeating up to our port once more."
"As you think fit, Senhor, but it will be down on us without muchfurther warning," observed the pilot, as he kept his glance towards thesouth-east.
The officers continued walking the deck, but their conversation wasshort and disjointed; their eyes constantly glancing round the horizonin search of further signs of the coming storm; yet, notwithstanding theprognostications of the commander and the pilot, the breeze heldtolerably steady, only shifting now and then half a point or so, whichrequired a corresponding attention in trimming sails, so as not todeviate from their course.
"Ah, Captain Pinto," exclaimed Don Luis, with a smile on his lips, "Itrust that this once, at least, my hopes rather than your forebodingsmay be realised; see, the breeze is still our friend, nor does it seeminclined to desert us, and perhaps, after all our fears, yonder mass mayprove but a fog bank, through which we may quickly cleave our way."
"Still sanguine, and expecting better fortune than will probably fall toour lot? But, although your hopes are bright, I am not to be deceivedby any treacherous appearances. Even while you have been speaking thebreeze has fallen; look over the side, and observe the ship makes muchless way through the water than she did a few minutes ago; and see herwake, for how short a distance does the foamy line extend ere the wavesobliterate all signs of it! Mark me, the breeze, like hollow friends,will soon desert us. Ah! said I not true? The words have scarcelypassed my lips ere my predictions are fulfilled."
As he spoke, the sails gave one loud flap against the mast, though theyagain bulged out as the last effort of the dying breeze once more filledthem. In a moment the commander was all life and animation. "In allstudding sails, Senhor Alvez," he shouted to his first lieutenant."They are like officious friends, and do us more harm than benefit."
"All hands, shorten sail," was echoed through the ship, as the sailorssprung with alacrity on deck.
"Be quick, my men, be quick! There's no time to lose!--Man yourdownhauls!--Let fly your gear!" shouted the Captain, through hisspeaking-trumpet; and in a minute the light, airy canvass, beforeextended like wings on each side of the larger sails, was taken into thetops, or hauled down on deck. "Hand the royals, Senhor Alvez," criedthe commander again. "Furl topgallant-sails, and down with the royaland topgallant-yards!" he quickly added. "We may as well relieve thecraft of all top-hamper: she'll dance all the lighter for it."
These orders were quickly accomplished by a ready and active crew, whosprung aloft with all the activity, and somewhat of the chattering, ofmonkeys; for, in those times, the strict discipline and regularity ofthe present day were not observed in any service, and silence was notconsidered a necessary part of duty. Scarcely had the men returned ondeck, when they were again ordered aloft, although it had now fallen acomplete calm, the vessel rolling on the long smooth swell which seemedto rise without any impelling power, like the breathing of some vastgiant in his sleep. The sun, now sinking rapidly in the ocean, stillshone with dazzling brightness, from a dark blue sky yet unclouded inthat part of the heavens in which his course lay. The sails flappedlazily against the masts, with a dull sound like a distant cannonade,the timbers creaked, and the water splashed, as she slowly rolled fromside to side, the bubbles of foam sparkling brightly around the blackand shining wales.
"Hand the courses--brail up the mizen!" suddenly shouted the Captain;for in those days the last-mentioned sail was carried,--a large unwieldylatteen-sail, with a long heavy yard, requiring a strong force of thecrew to hand, instead of that which we now call a spanker. After muchhauling and labour, the order was accomplished. "Close reef and furlthe topsails!" he added; "we will show naked sticks to yonder blast, andmay then laugh at its efforts! There is no use running the chance ofhaving our canvass blown out of the bolt-ropes."
In a few minutes the towering pillar of canvass had disappeared; and theship, under bare poles, rocked like a cradle on the ocean, withoutadvancing an inch in her course; the helm, too, having lost all itsguiding power, her head moved slowly about, as if uncertain of its way.The atmosphere, which in the morning had been so brisk and light, becameloaded and oppressive to the feelings; but as yet no breath even of theadverse blast was felt. A thick haze was collecting round the disk ofthe sun, which had now assumed an angry, fiery hue,--its size many timesincreased from its ordinary appearance; and, as it sank into the ocean,the fierce glowing blaze of the western sky, tinged with its light theborders of the approaching mass of clouds.
"Seldom have I seen the sun set in so hot a passion," observed theCaptain to Don Luis. "He does it in kindness, however, to warn us thatwe shall be wishing for his light again before he can possibly appear toaid us."
Onward came the frowning mass of clouds, with their light, fiery _avantcouriers_; and, as the shades of night were fast throwing a dark mantleover the ocean, suddenly, without a moment's warning, a fierce squallstruck the ship, turning her head rapidly round, the water hissing andfoaming about her bows. For a few moments again all was calm,--theangry breath, which had blown, seeming but some sudden ebullition of thespirit of the tempest, and to have passed in forgetfulness away. Yettreachery lurked beneath that tranquil air. Down came the blast with nosecond notice--strong and furious--driving onward before it the lightand buoyant corvette. Away she flew over the milk-white ocean, like asea-bird in search of its finny prey, now dipping her head into thetrough of the fast-rising sea, then again ascending, and shaking it, tofree herself from the sheets of spray which dashed around her.
"You see, my friend," said Captain Pinto, touching Don Luis on the arm,"that my forebodings, as you called them, have turned out truer thanyour hopes. A few hours ago you were looking out ahead for land, andnow how things have changed! There lies the land right over thetaffrail, or a little on the larboard-quarter; for this gale has comefrom the south east, and here are we doomed to beat about, like theFlying Dutchman, before our port, without a chance of reaching it. Butpatience! it is a fine wind for outward-bound ships, and we must becontent to be the sufferers." He then beckoned the pilot to his side."What say you, Senhor Nunez, shall we heave the ship to? There is nouse running away from our course."
"We may heave to the ship, if we like," replied the old seaman; "but Imuch doubt if we have any canvass on board to keep her there: she wouldbear it if we made sail; though I suspect the wind would soon take it infor us. If I might advise, we will run on before it while it lasts; forI do not think, by the way it came on, it will hold long; and then therewill be less risk of damaging th
e ship."
"Let it be so, Senhor Nunez," answered the Captain. "Such, also, is myopinion. A gale like this is not to be played with, if one would keepone's gear in condition."
The waves were not as yet running very high, but were short and broken,tossing up their thin foam-covered crests with sudden, quick, and angryjerks, seeming to excite each other to fury as they vied in theirmaddening leaps. The sky had become of one dark hue, the thick mistflying rapidly over it; and the sea, when perceived under the frothysheet which covered it, had assumed a cold, leaden colour. It wouldhave been a sad and dreary prospect to the seamen, with their longnight-watch before them, had not custom reconciled them to their hardlot, and caused them to be